5 Things March 12: Self Defense Class, Special Needs Support Group and More

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1. Self defense seminar
Learn how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe at the self defense seminar 6 to 7 p.m. at Personal Best Karate. Learn how to recognize danger and what to do if you find yourself in a situation. Fee is $15. Pre-register by calling 508-285-5425 or emailing kfarrell@personalbestkarate.com.

2. Support group meeting for parents of children with special needs
Monthly support group for parents of children with special needs who help each other through the highs and lows of parenting by sharing strategies, resources and ideas. The facilitator is a special education attorney. Get more information at www.bethkgoldberglaw.com. 7 p.m. at , 250 E Main St, Norton.

3. Breastfeeding Support Group meeting
Sturdy Memorial Hospital will hold a Breastfeeding Support Group meeting 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Clinical Education Center. The group is free and open to the public. For more information, call nursing administration at 508-236-7151.

4. Healthcastle.com warns of misleading terms to watch out for on food products
According to dietitian Gloria Tsang, founder of nutrition network HealthCastle.com, some claims splashed across grocery store packaging mean virtually nothing in terms of health benefits – even though they’re designed to create a healthy impression.
Here are HealthCastle.com’s top 5 misleading terms to watch out for on food products:

• Natural: FDA rules allow this claim to be used on any product with no synthetic or artificial ingredients, even if it’s high in sodium, nitrates, and other unhealthy ingredients found in nature – like arsenic, which Consumer Reports found in 100% natural juice.
• Sugar-Free: In a sweet product, this means artificial sweeteners, which are at least as bad as sugar. Artificially sweetened drinks may cause weight gain in children, and artificial sweeteners in products like chewing gum and flavored water can actually increase hunger.
• Organic: For produce, "organic" means fewer pesticides, but for packaged foods the claim often means little for health value. Two brands of organic toddler formula, for instance, were found to contain arsenic – traced back to the organic brown rice syrup in the ingredients.
• Light: When fat is removed, artificial thickeners (including various gums and waxes) are added, like in light soymilk made from water-diluted soy flour with the thickener carageenan added to approximate "real" soymilk texture.
• Made with Whole Grains: This claim can be added to foods that contain only a tiny amount of whole grains, even those made mostly from refined white flour. Look for "100% whole wheat" or whole wheat flour as the first ingredient if you want real whole grains.